Robert Hunter

Musical titans Bobby Braddock, Willie Dixon, Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia, Toby Keith, Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry will become the latest inductees of the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization’s 46th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner. These legendary songwriters wrote such mega-hits as “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Dark Star,” “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” “Time After Time,” and “Beautiful.” The star-studded induction event is slated for Thursday, June 18th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award hono

Grateful Web recently had a chance to speak with legendary bluegrass mandolinist, Jesse McReynolds. Jesse’s use of ‘crosspicking’, known as the ‘McReynolds style’ distinguished his picking from Bill Monroe and others. Jesse is a multiple Grammy award winner and in 1993 he was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

After nearly 10 years, Robert Hunter, the legendary lyricist of the Grateful Dead, is returning to the public stage for a rare eight-city concert tour. Hunter joined the Grateful Dead in the fall of 1967, when he arrived at a rehearsal just in time to write the first verse of the band's classic "Dark Star." Though he'd never play onstage, it was Hunter's work that would elevate their songs from ditties to rich, complete stories set to song.

In 1964, Jerry Garcia and his buddy Sandy Rothman packed up a tape recorder and took off for the American South on a bluegrass pilgrimage. One of the groups they most wanted to see was “Jim and Jesse” (McReynolds), of Dothan, Alabama. They saw them, and they had a ball.

Jim and Jesse went on to legendary status in the bluegrass world with more than 45 years at the Grand Ol’ Opry, Grammys, and membership in any Hall of Fame that means anything to this music.